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Chef James Wilkinson, who joined Hairy Canary/Canary Club as
executive chef in October last year from Jimmy Watsons, has left
the perch already to join a new venture at Melbourne Central.

To be named Kaleido, the two-level space will be restaurant
downstairs, bar above it. A lavish design by local architect
Brandon Yeoh (BY Architects) has been undertaken for locally based
Chinese/Australian businessman Tony Ma.

"The idea of a kaleidoscope was used to create a vibrant and
illusory insertion within an existing black glazed building," says
Yeoh's web site.

"Gradual colour changing LEDs, various mirrored surfaces and a
bold colour scheme combine to produce a multi-faceted and ever
changing experience for patrons."

Local restaurant and wine consultant Lok Thornton is working on
the launch, and says Kaleido will have a strong organic theme and
will be pitched at the level of one-hat City restaurants.

Canary Club proprietor Kristine Becker says she'll take the
reins in the kitchen until a new executive chef can be
recruited.

News from north

Plenty of restaurateurs are looking for chefs these days
and they're not all local.

Up in Noosa, Melbourne boy Matt McConnell (ex-Diningroom 211 and
brother of Andrew from Circa) has opted for a European sabbatical
of at least a year.

That leaves high-profile local restaurateur Jim Berardo on the
lookout for an executive chef to manage both his Noosa joints.

A few Melbourne phones have been ringing.

Also in the sunniest suburb of Melbourne, Noosa's matriarch of
food and wine, Leonie Palmer, has been in touch to say the rumoured
demise of one of Australia's best-loved restaurants, Ricky
Ricardo's, is more smoke than fire.

Stories have certainly been circulating about lease difficulties
for the riverside restaurant this past year.

"After an amicable negotiation we are delighted to pass on that
Ricky's will still be dispensing great food, drink ambience and
views for at least the next two-three years," says Palmer.

"So all those hell bent on a 'last supper' can slow down and
savour the longest of moments."

Ezard's adventure

Teague Ezard is just back from Hong Kong where the restaurant
he's consultant to has recently opened (Espresso broke the
news of Ezard's Far East fling in August last year).

Despite earlier suggestions the restaurant would be an
Ezard-branded business, the Causeway Bay eatery goes by the
decidedly forgettable title Y's "after the hotel's youthful owner,
Ms Yenn Wong", according to the Jia hotel group's publicity.

Philippe Starck designed the hotel, while the restaurant's
interior was designed by a local high flyer, Andre Fu.

Dishes Ezard has created for the restaurant include
coconut-grilled stingray; pork nam prik ong; and ox cheek
rendang.

Sushi switch

As if Federation Square mogul Paul Mathis didn't have
enough to think of already, his Japan-inspired noodle house
Chocolate Buddha has undergone subtle interior changes recently as
well as the significant development of introducing a sushi
chef.

Noriyuki Makino has walked across the Square from Taxi where he
had been previously working with sushi chef Ikuei Arakane.

Previous gigs have included Koko, Suntory, Manju and Walters
Wine Bar. In Japan, he trained at the Osaka Hilton and Hyatt
Regency, Osaka.

Postal delays

So what is happening at the GPO, other than coffee and
Champagne?

While Federal Coffee Palace and Juliet's go about their business
at the glamorous retail site, the promised restaurants of Postal
Lane - with their basement level kitchens and beneath-the-awnings
laneway dining spaces - are still nowhere to be seen.

But GPO co-developer Adam Garrison says that's about to
change.

"We did have delays because of the heritage nature of the
building. We had to get everything absolutely perfect."

Umberto Lallo's Nostro Baretto is expected to be the first of
the restaurants open, late this month or most likely early May,
some five months or so after the restaurants were expected to begin
trading.

Kenzan's Boeing Cho says Kenzan at GPO has begun fitout, but
will not open until late May, at best.

He blames heritage and union issues for the delays. A third
restaurant, Ca de Vin, associated with Theo Poulakis of Il Solito
Posto, is at a similar stage of development.

It's a similar story upstairs where the massive bar diningroom
under development by Melbourne businessman Ian Robertson - with
Maurice Terzini consulting - is also running late.

Garrison says similar heritage issues forced rethinks and new
designs on several aspects of the bar's services.

He predicts a progressive opening from July.

New name

Is it Persian fairy floss for Flinders Lane?

Langton's surprised a few in the Melbourne restaurant industry
late last week when it appointed Nicky Riemer to the role of head
chef.

Riemer's recent experience - head chef at NewQuay's Mecca Bah
and until last month at St Kilda's Felton - suggests a far more
casual direction for the basement restaurant set up seven years ago
by Stewart Langton, Mark Robertson and founding chef Philippe
Mouchel.